Pick, Prediction, & Preview:

Miami, Ohio Red Hawks vs Buffalo Bulls

The MAC East division standings will greatly be affected on Tuesday night as the Red Hawks of Miami, Ohio, visits the Buffalo Bulls for a showdown at UB Stadium in Amherst, New York, beginning at 8 pm EST. The Bulls are in first place within the division while the Red Hawks sit at 3-1 and in third place just behind the Ohio Bobcats, which currently reside in the second place slot. Miami, Ohio will come in with a bit of confidence in that they picked up the 24-14 home win on October 21, 2017 as they also covered as three-point favorites. In fact, the Red Hawks are 5-2-1 ATS in their last eight meetings versus Buffalo. The Red Hawks have also covered the spread in their last five games, overall, including in their last contest, despite suffering a 31-30 road loss versus the Army Black Knights as they were unable to convert on a two-point conversion to get the win in overtime.

On the other hand, the Bulls have also covered well recently (3-0 ATS in last three outings) as they covered as three-point underdogs in their last matchup over the Toledo Rockets on the road in picking up the 31-17 win on October 20, 2017 as they racked up 462 yards total in the contest while its defense held the Rockets to only 295 yards in the win. The favorite is 8-1-1 ATS in the last ten meetings amongst these teams while the over is 4-1 in the last five meetings, overall.

Miami, Ohio Red Hawks's Latest Performance :

Miami, Ohio, began the season 1-4, but, has since went 2-1 while going 5-0 ATS in their last five games. Most importantly, their rise in the division can be attributed to their stellar play within the MAC as they have won three of four games while putting up 30 or more points in each contest. Their defense has also been stout during these matchups in allowing just 15 points per game to their opponents. Nonetheless, they allowed 31 points to the Black Knights in their last matchup as they suffered a one-point loss on the road due to a failed two-point conversion in overtime. They collected 406 yards on the day as Gus Ragland threw four TD’s to four different receivers (Kenny Young, Luke Mayock, Nate Becker, Dominique Robinson) while having 326 passing yards on the day. The rushing attack only racked up 77 yards compared to Army having 347 yards in the game with QB Cam Thomas running the show with 137 yards on 26 rushing along with a TD while Darnell Woolfork had 96 yards and 2 TD’s for the Black Knights. Despite the loss dropping the Red Hawks to 3-5, they continue to be 3-1 in the MAC East, as stated, and are continuing to play well on offense. With that being said, look for them to make this game interesting as they will certainly need to capitalize on a Buffalo defensive unit that is ranked 70th in rush defense in allowing 162 yards per outing to their opponents.

Buffalo Bulls 's Latest Performance :

After a 17-17 tie late in the third quarter, the Bulls got two rushing touchdowns from Jaret Patterson, who ended with 20 rushes for 90 yards, as the Bulls won their third straight game which propelled them to the top spot within the MAC East division. QB Tyree Jackson also played well despite throwing three interceptions in the contest in throwing for 326 yards along with two touchdowns to Anthony Johnson (4 rec, 83 yards). Their defense allowed only eight first downs for the game while permitting the Rockets to hold the ball for only 20 minutes. They did, however, allow 158 yards on the ground yet collected four turnovers for the game. While the Bulls’ offense is currently averaging 33 points per outing, the defense has been their strength this year as they allow 21 points per game while allowing just 331 total yards per game in 2018. They will look to exert their dominance early on an offense that has been up and down all year long yet are very dangerous recently in putting up at least 30 points per game in their last five games.

How Miami, Ohio Red Hawks & Buffalo Bulls Matchup.

Vegas Odds, Offshore Odds, & Odds ATS:

Miami, Ohio is 5-3 ATS while the OU is 5-3

Buffalo is 6-2 ATS while the OU is 5-3

In-Depth Analysis of each team:

As stated, this will be an important matchup for both teams as the Bulls can certainly maintain their dominance within the East division while staying above the Bobcats in the meantime with a win. On the other hand, the Red Hawks can make some headway within the division in winning this matchup as they will move up to the second place slot with Ohio having a very important matchup versus the Broncos of Western Michigan later in the week. The Red Hawks must utilize RB Alonzo Smith (342 yards, 2 TD’s) much more in which to better establish their running game in this contest as the Bulls have shown that they indeed have problems defending the run. Overall, the Bulls will come to play versus a Miami, Ohio team that is brimming with confidence despite their most recent loss to Army, while Buffalo is also on a high and will rely, once again, on their defense to keep them in this game.

Against The Spread Selection: Pick: Miami, Ohio RedHawks

My reason for the pick :

While the Bulls will be focused coming into this contest, the Red Hawks have a great history in battling Buffalo in the past including a 24-14 win at home in their last matchup. Combine this with the fact that Ragland has been on a tear lately under center and will likely provide a worthy challenge to a Buffalo pass defense that is allowing just 168 yards in the air. Nonetheless, expect the Red Hawks to establish their running game in this matchup that will certainly take the pressure off the passing attack, in general. With that being the case, expect Miami, Ohio, to pull out an outstanding win over the top seeded Bulls on Tuesday due to their ability to be much more balanced along with exploiting the Bulls inability to stop the run.

Totals Selection: Pick: Under

My reason for the prediction :

The under was the play in their last matchup amongst each other and with so much on the line for both teams, I will ride the under in this matchup. Again, both offenses have been performing well and have been a catalyst for their recent success, however, both defenses will indeed step up in this contest in attempting to control the trenches versus two dangerous offensive units. In all, look for the score to be low while the contest will remain competitive throughout as the total will not surpass its set limit.

Betting trends for Miami, Ohio Red Hawks:

RedHawks are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games on fieldturf.

RedHawks are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 conference games.

RedHawks are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games overall.

Betting trends for Buffalo Bulls :

Buffalo Bulls are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 conference games.

Over is 4-0 in Bulls last 4 games following a bye week.

Over is 4-0 in Bulls last 4 Tuesday games.

Falepa

A sports analyst and enthusiast, Filipa enjoys writing articles for NHL, NBA, NCAAB, and, of course, for NCAAF. In addition, he enjoys the true art of breaking down games in such as way as to locate certain trends that can impact future contests. With a willingness to research, construct, and relay information that any reader can understand, Filipa aims to provide the reader with interesting & indepth knowledge for upcoming sporting events.